Second Round of Voting in Bern Could Be Eliminated
Published: Monday, Oct 23rd 2023, 15:36
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In the canton of Bern, the possibility of forgoing a second round of voting is being discussed. On Monday, FDP candidate Sandra Hess expressed her willingness to run again, but also indicated that she would be open to forgoing participation if the Greens were to withdraw their candidate. On Sunday, FDP candidate Marianne Hess surprisingly achieved a strong result in the first round of voting, landing in fourth place. SP National Councillor Flavia Wasserfallen and SVP Ständerat Werner Salzmann took the top two spots, followed by Green Bernhard Pulver in third and Hess in fourth. Hess expressed his joy at the positive outcome. From the beginning, the bourgeois parties had aimed for an undivided Bernese vote, which is why they were also ready for a second round of voting. We have observed that the two top-placed candidates, Werner Salzmann and Flavia Wasserfallen, have achieved a good result and secured a clear lead of around 60,000 votes over the next-placed candidates. The voters of Bern have already clearly expressed their will in the first round of voting. Therefore, Hess has the option of foregoing a second round of voting. This would require the Greens to withdraw their candidacy as well. This would relieve pressure and save the cost of sending out 750,000 ballot envelopes, amounting to nearly one million Swiss francs in taxpayer money. If both Hess and Pulver withdraw, the path is clear for a silent election of the two top-placed candidates, Wasserfallen and Salzmann. The Green Party of Bern will be deciding their strategy for a potential second round of voting on Monday evening, according to Esther Meier, the Business Manager of the Green Party of Bern. ©Keystone/SDA
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